bigbossman 

Are you sure about that? The bars are from a Lambert, but with all those lugs and that fork I'm thinking maybe it's not.

SweetLou

Oh, I like geared bikes also. Actually, most of my bikes are multigeared. But, I live on the west side of Cleveland, this means no hills. The only time I do switch gears is when I come to a stop to make it a little easier to get going. For me, having multiple gears really is not needed for my general riding, especially for my daily commute. Though my daily commuter is a 24 speed, lol.

For bad weather, a fixed gear is great for me. No cables (except the front brake cable) to get rusty, no snow and ice packed derailers, it is just a maintenance thing. And I do find them fun to ride.

I do have a disdain for some of the fixed geared riders. I don't like the ones that take really nice frames and cut all the braze-ons off, I don't like the brakeless riders, and I am not too keen on the fad/fashion riders. These are the ones that come into the shop and I try to help them. If I am confused on what they want or what they are trying to accomplish, I'll ask questions. Usually the answer is something like, "It'll be cool (phat)" or because they see others doing it. A lot of the cyclist I meet at the store are clueless when it comes to bikes, maintenance etc. That is fine, that is why I have a job and I like to help people. Most of the time, with these riders, is that they are trying to accomplish something, lower gearing to help get up a hill, a more comfortable saddle, alleviate hand and wrist pain, lighting for night riding, etc. With fixed gear, it is "remove the spacers and turn the stem upside down and put a track bar on it. I want a really low handlebar height." They don't do it for racing or better aerodynamics. They do it because it is phat or in style. The worse are the ones that cut the handlebars so narrow, I wonder how they have any control of the bike. I also wonder how it could be comfortable for more than 100 yards.

USAZorro

Agreed. This one was very unartfully done.

USAZorro

Sounds like we see eye-eye on most of what you posted here. Schwinn Travelers from the mid 80's, Peugeot U-08's, and Raleigh Grand Prix's from the 70's are three models that convert reasonably cleanly. They don't have the rack braze-ons, but there are plenty running around with Pletscher racks stuck on them. I think the Grand Prix is the better choice of the three - since it has neither shifter bosses, nor derailleur hanger (although it does have cable guides).

If sykerocker's fixed gear project will have people screaming, mine will probably have the mobs out with pitchforks and flaming torches (although I won't be chopping anything off, or causing permanent damage to a frame). I'm keeping it under my hat until it's ready.

geekrunner

+1 on the Travelers. I did one on a '78 Traveler III, it is really nice! Turned a nice profit on it too. The frame was in really good shape, and the cable stop and guides were all clamp-on. Very clean look. I even built a set of wheels with Schwinn-approved high flanged hubs, Araya alloy rims and stainless spokes. Respaced and dished the rear wheel for perfect chainline. I posted this on BBM's stem thread, but I just had to show this thing off:

PS. I have four cats, and they all are nuttier than a fruitcake.













geek

tatfiend 

The bike that started this thread was obviously built by someone who is either color blind or has no aesthetic sense at all. A no taste bike for a no taste rider.

dbakl

Oh come on, fixies are about getting noticed for your radical inner hipness, not for blending in to the rat race herd! It may not be my thang, but I don't dis someone's bike.

USAZorro

You say that now, but when he rolls out with a green and white polka dot sweatshirt, plaid cut-offs, mismatched socks and doc martens, the truth will be there for all to see.

I give him? a B+ for loud, and a D for aesthetics.

mstrpete

That Traveler's nice-clean and classic, though I'd like a bit wider bar.

This one's not bad either, from CL:

mparker326

That bike already looked gone. I'll bet it was a dumpster find the way the fork looks.

bbattle

I posted the OP pic in the SS/FG forum. As they say over there, "epic fail".

Here's one from the SS/FG "Jackass....." thread:

cobrabyte

i agree about the bike being ugly, but that description of the "hipster"? dude, that's more of a "grunge" style & last time i checked (which is like every other day...ok EVERY day) Eddie Vedder doesn't ride a fixie

soderbiker

i think it's time we asked if there could be a Special Sub forum for DREWED bikes . So that some of the participants in the Drewing practice might have a second though about "Drew'ing " their new vintage frameset .
we have been seeing a lot lately !

"Dont be a Drewbie"
T

mickey85

"Sloid?"

Picchio Special

I'm betting the fork is fine. It's easy to be fooled if the bars are slightly turned and the camera angled.

Sixty Fiver

No cats have been killed during the countless conversions I have done... that only happens when you cut and grind off the braze ons and derailer hangers.

unworthy1

that's hilarious! How's anybody going to top it? I'll be waiting to see...outside the ER doors at my City Hospital

Quixotegut

I'd like to double correct this. Even Eddie wouldn't be caught dead in a polkadot sweater.

You modern day hipster looks like a 40's-50's greaser minus the cigarette pack in the sleave combined with Elvis Costello from back in his prime. Unfortunately for me I look the same as my description. However I lack the one thing that solidifies a hipster as a hipster; the desire to be better at being a hipster than other hipsters. The earlier description is more along the lines of a Grunge Clown.

Edit: I have a cat and really feel bad for people that hate them. They may not be as personable as the family dog, but they most certainly don't deserve the ire that people show them.

In response to the the majority, I agree that the OP bike is horrendously colored, but I find that fixed speed bikes are a simplification of cycling and thus shouldn't be looked at as perversions of the pastime that most of us on these types of forums enjoy. There's less between you and the road. Making too much of a fuss about a bikes hardware seems like there is more attention to keeping up credibility of completionism than enjoying the ride. (Don't get me wrong, I want a bike that is authentic as possible, but knocking a guy or girl for simplifying their ride because you claim them to be following a fad, one which I'm sure not many here truely understand, isn't a good reflection of the cycling community's maturity. Still, anybody who Drews a bike over is exempt from my empathy.)

steppinthefunk 

I have two cats that were both saved from eminent doom. The first was saved from China and has her own passport. The second was saved from a dumpster. Both of them are more loving and have more character then any dog I have ever owned.

I guess they owe their lives to the fact that I have inversed the curse by converting two fixies into single speeds.

screwdriver

Talk about character. This is real character. I hope there are no objections to my 100 lb. parts chaser. Unfortunately, he is a cat killer.

unworthy1

looks like he eats French bikes, too...just finishing off another!

nlerner

And it that an Atom pedal? Your dog has a preference for French parts?

Neal

Basil Moss

The oldies in my club (old enough to have served in WW2 and remember when 5 speed blocks were better than 4) can remember taking all the gears off their bikes and turning them into fixed for winter, and turning them back again come spring. They used to have pretty multi purpose bikes!

delver

The other thing that is ridiculous about that is the treck pro series has to have the shortest horizontal dropouts ever. they are virtualy like Vert drops. no room adjustment, really.

I have a 560 that I would like to ebay, but its all original. The thought of some knuckle dragger taking a hacksaw to the frame just makes it hang in the shop even harder.

I saw a picture of a front brake lever mounted on the fork once.

powerband

This is a bad idea. What, then, do we all do with our hack saws and dremel tools? Does this mean the end of riding in ultra-tight jeans? Let me guess, it would also be the end of the 4-inch handlebars. And no brakes? What, we can no longer be one with the bike (and the grill of the Cadillac)... where's the zen in that?